Q: I saw a hashtag of #stayhomeandgarden, and I thought it was a great idea, but I have a very small yard without much room for the dog to run around in. I know that some vegetables grow in pots, but I have only grown flowers in pots. I assume there is not much difference between the usual geraniums or petunias and vegetables, but I thought I would ask for any tips before I start. What do you think?

A: You are right that a plant is a plant, but there can be several differences between flowers and vegetables.

First, virtually all of the summer-loving vegetables need as much sun as possible. A tomato plant will grow in a shady location, but you will only get a few tomatoes from it.

Second, because they are growing in the sun, they will also need to be watered a lot more. Just about all of the produce you would get from vegetables is made mostly of water. If you let the pots dry out too often, the fruit will be small. Many fruits will grow to a certain size with the water the plant is getting, but if the plant suddenly gets more water, the fruit will split. This is very common on tomatoes that are not watered consistently.

Some potting soils have water-retaining crystals mixed in to help hold water in the soil. You can add more crystals if you know you are not good at keeping plants watered.

Third, don't overfertilize. Many potting soils already have fertilizer mixed in. You don't have to add fertilizer when planting, but if the pots are watered, a lot of the fertilizer will eventually be washed away or used up, so you will need to add some in the summer.

Fourth, choose the vegetable varieties carefully. Look at the seed package or the plant tag for the terms "dwarf variety" or "bush variety." This is especially true for some of the vines like cucumbers and squash. The compact variety will grow in a pot, but the standard vining version will need a larger space.

Fifth, use as large of a container as you can. Bigger pots hold more soil, and the plants will do better, but bigger pots are harder to move and take up valuable space on the patio. Don't use galvanized metal containers, because the zinc coating can kill the plants. Don't use dark-colored pots because they absorb heat from the sun and become too hot for the roots.

A larger container will be better able to support more than one plant, which may be necessary for pollination. A half-barrel can be used to grow two large tomatoes, two bush vines (like cucumbers), one hill of pumpkin or up to six plants of beans, eggplant or pepper. A pot that is one-half to one-quarter the size of a half-barrel can grow one of any of those types of plants. A large hanging basket can be used to hold small varieties of vine crops like beans, peas, dwarf cucumbers or squash.

To best keep the plant growing within its container's space and not all over the patio, you can use a trellis or wire basket. A pair of poles can be attached inside or outside of the barrel or pot, and string or wires can be laced between them to create a mesh that the plant can grow onto. Many hardware stores carry a wire mesh grid that has sturdy wires spaced about 6 inches apart in both directions. Measure the circumference of your container, and get enough wire to wrap around the outside of the container. Then staple it or nail it to the outside so that it forms a cylinder around the pot. The cylinder can be 6 to 8 feet taller than the top of the pot. You can reach through the holes to plant and to harvest.

Place the pot on a few rocks or pot feet to raise it above the soil or deck surface to keep out pests and to avoid staining the surface. Do not place a layer of gravel in the bottom of the pot. It will not aid in draining the pot.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@greenerview.com. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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